President sees healthy govt

Published October 14, 2002

ISTANBUL, Oct 13: President Pervez Musharraf said on Sunday he expected a post-election government to be “very healthy”, and that there would be no problem stemming from the success of Islamic parties.

“I think, we had very transparent, very good and problem-free elections, and we will probably have a very healthy government in Pakistan,” Musharraf told reporters on his arrival in Istanbul for a regional economic summit.

Mr Musharraf said religious parties had been playing a role in the Pakistani politics for decades.

Replying to a question that whether the religious parties would take part in the new government or sit in the opposition, he said: “According to the laws, according to the seats, they will take part in the government. In Pakistan we have always had the same religious parties in the coalition governments.”—Reuters